Person:Elizabeth Putnam (42)

↑ Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records to the End of the year 1849. (Salem, Massachusetts: Essex Institute, 1916-1925)
2:210.

PUTNAM, Elizabeth, d. Thomas and Ann (Holyocke), 30 : 6 m : 1659.
[Note: In old-styles dates, the sixth month is August. More info may be found here.]
↑ Putnam, Eben. A history of the Putnam family in England and America: recording the ancestry and descendants of John Putnam of Danvers, Mass., Jan Poutman of Albany, N.Y., Thomas Putnam of Hartford, Conn. (Salem, Mass.: Salem Press Pub. and Print. Co., 1891-1908)
7.

Children of Thomas Putnam [#3] and first wife Ann Holyoke: 7) Elizabeth [#15], b. "30-6-1659" [30 Aug 1659], m. Joshua Bayley, s/o John Bayley and Eleanor Emery.
Note: Col. Perley Putnam has claimed, according to Putnam p. 58, that Benjamin Putnam [#23] m. 25 Aug 1686 this Elizabeth. This is obviously incorrect. The mother of Benjamin's children is not named Elizabeth. The date is not a marriage date, but the birth date of Benjamin's son Nathaniel, and on Putnam p. 22, the will of Thomas Putnam's widow, Mary, dated 8 Jan 1695 names her husband's children, including "Elizabeth Bayley", which clearly indicates she was otherwise married. Therefore, she was not the first wife of Benjamin to whom he was married from abt. 1684 to 1705. Despite all evidence to the contrary, this urban legend continues to get propagated by careless researchers.